"Slavery" in the Bible

[POI]

Allow us readers to be very careful. We must make sure we identify the proper context here, to assure against hasty and/or self-serving conclusions.

Exodus 21:2-3:

"2 "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. 3 If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him." <-- Okay, this seems clear enough, if you are a purchased Hebrew, with a wife, you are both to go free in year 7.

Exodus 21:4:

"4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free." <-- Here is where things start to look sketchy for the modern-day believer. If the slave is provided with a wife, and they have kids, the wife and kids are to stay with the slave master. They are not to go free.

Exodus 21:5-6:

"5 "But if the servant declares, I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free, 6 then his master must take him before the judges.[a] He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life." <-- More uncomfortability for the Christian here. Without getting into the weeds, common sense suggests a special rule is made to trick the male Hebrew into remaining a slave for life.

Leviticus 25:44-46:

"44 "Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly." <-- More awkwardness for the believer, as the Bible reader clammers to find a rationale to make this passage not read the way it does.

Here is a basic definition of chattel slavery --> "Chattel slavery is full slavery in its traditional form whereby slaves are the complete property of their master, can be bought and sold by him and treated in any way that he wishes, which may include torture and other brutality, excessively bad working conditions, and sexual exploitation"

Looks like all the ingredients fit the given Bible description here, minus the torture. Wait a minute, this is covered in the rest of Exodus 21. (i.e.):

"20 "Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property." <-- So basically, since the slave is your property, beatings with impunity are acceptable. Just don't kill them.

For debate:

By applying common sense, does/did the Bible ever, and/or currently still sanction chattel slavery?

Again, by using common sense, can a believer effectively use the Bible in support of breeding chattel slaves?

************************

Before you answer, consider this.... Since the NT does not mention the abolition of 'slavery', and yet the Bible makes further proclamation(s) and/or addendums (in favor of retaining 'slavery',) this means the Bible is not against chattel slavery either. Further, the Christian may want to introduce the importance of the 'golden rule'. However, the specifics outweigh the generals. The specifics of the rules for engagement of slavery are outside the 'golden rule'. Otherwise, the Bible would be a one-pager. 'Slavery' is an expressed exception to the general rule. Thus, anytime a specific scenario is not invoked, yes, 'golden rule.'

[POI]

Yes, he doesn't have to let the slave go.

Correct. This means slaves can be kept against their will. This is because the Bible permits keeping slaves without it being against Biblical law.

But, if he loves his neighbor as himself, he doesn't force the person to be his slave against the slaves will.

Please demonstrate where the Bible expresses that all Biblical slavery practices must be voluntary?

Further, who, in their right mind, would volunteer to be a lifetime chattel slave?

I think there exists the rule "love your neighbor as yourself". If person goes by that, as he should, it limits what one can do.

The Bible expresses those limits. As long as the master does not kill them, or damage their eye(s)/teeth, the master is not breaking any laws. The master remains within his limits. The master may keep them for life, beat them at will -- as long as the Bible's specific defined limits are maintained, and also breed new lifetime slaves.

Aside from not being allowed to kill them right away, and/or removing their eye(s)/teeth, how is Biblically approved slavery practices really any different from any other slavery?

[POI]

God's understanding of 'slavery' is decidedly different than so many expressed opinions of His enemies.

Aside from not being allowed to kill them right away, and/or removing their eye(s)/teeth, how is Biblically approved slavery practices really any different from any other slavery?

[POI]

Just for fun... Let's see if we can find all the ways in which this content creator is either:

a) being deliberately misleading...
b) or completely ignorant to the book he studies

The video is less than 5 minutes.



***************************************

7 "FACTS" given by this sleazy content creator:

1) God did not create slavery, but regulated it.
2) The purpose of slavery in the Bible was to help the poor
3) In the Hebrew culture, slavery was volitional
4) Kidnapping was not permitted
5) Slavery was limited to 6 years, (in a safe and loving environment)
6) Masters were to treat their slaves with respect
7) Israelites are servants

[marke]

God's understanding of 'slavery' is decidedly different than so many expressed opinions of His enemies.

Aside from not being allowed to kill them right away, and/or removing their eye(s)/teeth, how is Biblically approved slavery practices really any different from any other slavery?

America has never had slavery like was practised 4,000 years ago in the Middle East.

[POI]

America has never had slavery like was practised 4,000 years ago in the Middle East.

Allow me to run off a list in where things were likely absolutelyno different between the slavery issued in 1) the Middle East 4.000 years ago, verses 2) the trans-Altlantic slave trade not too long ago:

-- Many slaves kept for life in both areas (check)
-- Many slaves bred and kept for life in both areas (check)
-- Whipping to the back side, at will, with complete impunity in both areas (check)
-- Slaves deemed as property in both areas (check)
-- Work long hours, 7 days a week, in both areas (check)

Again, aside from not being allowed to kill them right away, or to knock out their eye(s) and teeth, how was slavery really any different?

[POI]

7 "FACTS" given by this sleazy content creator:

1) God did not create slavery, but regulated it.
2) The purpose of slavery in the Bible was to help the poor
3) In the Hebrew culture, slavery was volitional
4) Kidnapping was not permitted
5) Slavery was limited to 6 years, (in a safe and loving environment)
6) Masters were to treat their slaves with respect
7) Israelites are servants

I'll get the ball rolling here....

(answer key), for starters:

1) The Bible expresses abolition for murder, theft, and divorce, but did not express abolition for humans owning other humans as lifetime property.
2) The Bible could not think of any better solution than to grant lifetime chattel slavery and/or slave breeding? (Rhetorical Q) Of course there are alternatives, but slave masters wanted slaves "legal-style".
3) A bred slave is a volunteer? All lifetime chattel slaves volunteered for such activities? (Rhetorical Q's). Of course not....
4) A bred slave is not kidnapped. Purchasing a slave is also not kidnapping.
5) This only applies to Hebrew males, and some Hebrew women and/or children. The rest were all kept for life. Granting immunity for beatings also does not point towards a safe and loving work place.
6) Then why deem them property, and why grant immunity for beatings? (Rhetorical Q's).
7) The rules are tribal, just like alternative religions.

[oaroloye]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

SHALOM.

In any attempt at Communication, both sides must agree upon their vocabulary, or there is no communication.

Both Atheists and Christians are content to change Biblical terms, and add new ones, which The Bible does not use- which are never defined, so that neither side knows what they are really talking about.

The term "SLAVE" occurs in The 66-Book Bible only twice.

. JEREMIAH 2:14.

14. Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he spoiled?

. REVELATION 18:13.

13. And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

The term is used five times in the Apocrypha.

. JUDITH 5:11.

11. "Therefore the king of Egypt rose up against them, and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them low with labouring in brick, and made them slaves.

. JUDITH 14:13.

13. So they came to Holofernes' tent, and said to him that had the charge of all his things,

"Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed."

. JUDITH 14:18.

18. "these slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews hath brought shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holofernes lieth upon the ground without a head."

. 1^st MACCABEES 2:11.

11. "All her ornaments are taken away; of a free woman she is become a bondslave."

. 1^st MACCABEES 3:41.

41. And the merchants of the country, hearing the fame of them, took silver and gold very much, with servants, and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves: a power also of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined themselves unto them.

THERE WAS A DEFINITE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE CHILDREN OF Y'SRAEL PRACTICED, AND WHAT YOU AMERICANS PRACTICED.

7 "FACTS" given by this sleazy content creator:

Using pejorative terms is usually used to bias the mind of the reader against the person to be judged.

Sorry to say, whereas I agree with most of what the speaker says, he really does look sleazy. One is reminded of Mark Twain's abortive attempt at salvaging Richard Wagner, that basically sank him with all hands.

1) God did not create slavery, but regulated it.

WRONG. If something is wrong, God outlaws it altogether. He makes no consideration for: "But- we're only Human...!"

. MATTHEW 19:3-9.

3. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him,

"Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?"

4. And he Answered and Said unto them,

"Have ye not read, that He which made them at The Beginning made them male and female, 5. And Said,

'FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE: AND THEY TWAIN SHALL BE ONE FLESH?'

6. "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

7. They say unto him,

"Why did Moses then command to give a Writing of Divorcement, and to put her away?"

8. He Saith unto them,

"Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but From The Beginning it was not so. 9. "And I Say unto you,

'WHOSOEVER SHALL PUT AWAY HIS WIFE, EXCEPT IT BE FOR FORNICATION, AND SHALL MARRY ANOTHER, COMMITTETH ADULTERY: AND WHOSO MARRIETH HER WHICH IS PUT AWAY DOTH COMMIT ADULTERY.' "

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST HORRIFYING PARTS OF THE BIBLE- ONCE IT SINKS IN WHAT WAS SAID.

Laws were made that apparently conceded to supposed Humanity- but in reality did nothing of the kind!

Moses let them Divorce their wives- without annulling The Commandment against Adultery.

. EXODUS 20:14.

14. "Thou shalt not commit Adultery."

YEAH- YOU CAN LEAVE YOU HUSBAND, AND GO HAVE SEX WITH ANOTHER MAN- WAVING YOUR "CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE:" BUT IT MEANS NOTHING.

You can go have sex with another man's wife, because she has a Certificate of Divorce- but it doesn't mean anything!

You are guilty of ADULTERY- and you are going into Eternal Damnation for it.

So why did Moses give them the Divorce Law? Why... to kill them, of course!



SLAVERY IS A FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF CREATION- IT GOVERNS EVERYTHING FROM SUBATOMIC PARTICLES TO GALAXIES.

If Slavery were removed from the Universe, the Universe would no longer work!

Every operation in the Universe can be explained in terms of a Master/Slave Relationship.

Someone says: "I don't use Slavery!"

Yeah- the Chicken gives up its eggs for your breakfast purely voluntarily!

"Bwahahaha! I'm a vegetarian! You can't pin that Carnivore-!"

Ah, yeah- about that...

You know that Plants feel, right? They are sentient. L. Ron Hubbard- whose work I have occasion to use- was derided for claiming that a Tomato Vine read on his E-Meter, when he decided to burn one of its leaves.

Now, somebody posted elsewhere that some contemporary scientists want to steal that idea, and claim they discovered it!

So you are able to eat through enslavement.

. LEVITICUS 19:11-18.

11. "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
12. "And ye shall not swear by My Name falsely, neither shalt thou profane The Name of thy God: I am The LORD.
13. "Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
14. "Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am The LORD.
15. "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in Judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the Poor, nor honor the person of the Mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou Judge thy Neighbour.
16. "Thou shalt not go up and down as a Talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy Neighbour; I am The LORD.
17. "Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise Rebuke thy Neighbour, and not suffer Sin upon him.
18. "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the Children of thy People, but thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself: I am The LORD."

THE FACT THAT THERE ARE COMMANDMENTS PERMITTING SO-CALLED SLAVERY DOES NOT EXEMPT ONE FROM KEEPING ALL OF THOSE OTHER COMMANDMENTS!

The Europeans who used The Bible to justify oppression and murder were completely insane!

. LEVITICUS 19:32-37.

32. "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the Old Man, and fear thy God: I am The LORD.
33. "And if a Stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
34. "But the Stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself;
for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am The LORD your God.
35. "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
36. "Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin,
shall ye have: I am The LORD your God, Which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37. "Therefore shall ye observe all My Statutes, and all My Judgments, and do them: I am The LORD."

THE EUROPEANS AND AMERICANS SIMPLY COULD NOT CONCEIVE OF KEEPING SLAVES RIGHTEOUSLY.

This made no sense at all, and Devil-Possession is the only explanation.

2) The purpose of slavery in the Bible was to help the poor

. DEUTERONOMY 15:12-14.

12. And if thy Brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
13. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
14. Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith The LORD thy God hath Blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

IF YOU BELIEVE THAT SLAVERY IS EVIL- WHY ARE YOU STILL DOING IT?

"We do not practice Slavery in our Society! We've advanced beyond that stage...!"

Unfortunately, you have not advanced beyond the stage of changing a things name- and then telling yourselves that you have changed the thing.

. EXODUS 22:1-3.

"IF a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
2. "If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
3. "If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft."

IT IS INCONCEIVABLE THAT A BANK ROBBER, ONCE CAUGHT, SHOULD BE ABLE TO REPAY DOUBLE WHAT THEY STOLE, AND GO IN PEACE!

To sentence him to ten years imprisonment, "with hard labour," is a matter of routine. Nobody is going to call it "Slavery."

But how about your school system?

That is truly the worst! You spend years and years training for a job- and at the end of that time, you may not even get the job!

Oh- and the best part of it- is that you pay them to enslave you! The Y'sraelite SlaveMaster pays the so-called Slave, But the Student-Slave pays the Slave-School to train them.

. DEUTERONOMY 24:5.

5. When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

. DEUTERONOMY 30:19-20.

19. I call Heaven and Earth to record this Day against you, that I have set before you Life and Death, Blessing and Cursing: therefore choose Life,

That both thou and thy seed may live:

20. That thou mayest love The LORD thy God,

and that thou mayest obey His Voice,

and that thou mayest cleave unto Him:

for He is thy life, and the length of thy days:

that thou mayest dwell in the Land which The LORD Sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

. 2^nd CHRONICLES 16:9.

9. "For The Eyes of The LORD Run to and fro throughout the whole Earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."

. AMOS:3:3.

3. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"

. ZECHARIAH 4:10.

10. For who hath despised the Day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are The Eyes of The LORD, Which run to and fro through the whole Earth.

THERE ARE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD- WHICH EACH TAKE A YEAR TO ACQUIRE AND INTEGRATE.

This is the True Goal of Slavery: to attain Total Freedom- at the SlaveMaster's Expense.

3) In the Hebrew culture, slavery was volitional

. DEUTERONOMY 23:15-16.

15. Thou shalt not deliver unto his master he servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
16. He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.

THE Y'SRAELITE "SLAVE" COULD RUN AWAY AT ANY TIME, AND NO ONE WAS TO HELP THE SLAVEMASTER GET THEM BACK.

They were not chained up like animals, to prevent them from running away in the night.

4) Kidnapping was not permitted

. EXODUS 21:16.

16. "And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to Death."

THIS VERSE WAS SO PROBLEMATIC TO THE BRITISH, THAT THEY INFAMOUSLY PUBLISHED A FAKE BIBLE, WITH THE ENTIRE BOOK OF EXODUS REMOVED. they removed this verse, too:

. REVELATION 13:10.

10. "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword."

Here is the Patience and the Faith of the Saints.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_bible

5) Slavery was limited to 6 years, (in a safe and loving environment)

NO. FREEDOM CAME ABOUT SOMETIME DURING THE 7^th YEAR.

6) Masters were to treat their slaves with respect

EVERYONE WAS TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT!

. EXODUS 23:1-9.

"THOU shalt not raise a false report:
put not thine hand with the Wicked to be an Unrighteous Witness.
2. "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do Evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest Judgment:
3. "Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
4. "If thou meet thine Enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
5. "If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden,
and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
6. "Thou shalt not wrest the Judgment of thy Poor in his cause.
7. "Keep thee far from a false matter; and the Innocent and Righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the Wicked.
8. "And thou shalt take no Gift: for the gift blindeth the Wise, and perverteth the words of the Righteous.
9. "Also thou shalt not oppress a Stranger: for ye know the heart of a Stranger, seeing ye were Strangers in the Land of Egypt."

HOW COULD ONE ABUSE A SO-CALLED SLAVE, WHILE KEEPING THESE COMMANDMENTS?

7) Israelites are servants

THE SLAVES WERE SERVANTS; WHILE THE "FREE" Y'SRAELITES WERE SERVANTS OF YAHWEH GOD.

[benchwarmer]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

SHALOM.

In any attempt at Communication, both sides must agree upon their vocabulary, or there is no communication.

Agreed.

Both Atheists and Christians are content to change Biblical terms, and add new ones, which The Bible does not use- which are never defined, so that neither side knows what they are really talking about.

The term "SLAVE" occurs in The 66-Book Bible only twice.

Might I suggest you try different translations? Or how about not pretending that bondman/bondmaid aren't the same as a slave? Just because you cherry picked one translation that avoids the word slave and prefers to use bondman/servant doesn't mean the meaning of the passages change.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?s ... rsion=KJ21
Leviticus 25:44-46

44 Both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids, whom thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen who are round about you. From them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

We are still talking about buying humans here. You can nitpick the word used, but the result is the same. A person is bought and forced to work. They may be beaten as long as they don't die. You can call them a slave, a servant, a bondman, or whatever other word you come up with. It's not fooling anyone.

[marke]

America has never had slavery like was practised 4,000 years ago in the Middle East.

Allow me to run off a list in where things were likely absolutelyno different between the slavery issued in 1) the Middle East 4.000 years ago, verses 2) the trans-Altlantic slave trade not too long ago:

-- Many slaves kept for life in both areas (check)
-- Many slaves bred and kept for life in both areas (check)
-- Whipping to the back side, at will, with complete impunity in both areas (check)
-- Slaves deemed as property in both areas (check)
-- Work long hours, 7 days a week, in both areas (check)

Again, aside from not being allowed to kill them right away, or to knock out their eye(s) and teeth, how was slavery really any different?

Yes, there were several differences. For one, the underlying cause for slavery in America was not poverty, prisoners of war, prisoners of crime, or national oppression of enemies, but human trafficking, which the Bible condemns.

1 Timothy 1:9-11
King James Version

9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

[POI]

Yes, there were several differences. For one, the underlying cause for slavery in America was not poverty, prisoners of war, prisoners of crime, or national oppression of enemies, but human trafficking, which the Bible condemns.

I'm not talking about human trafficking. The Bible instructs that bred humans shall belong to the slave master.

Exodus 21:4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

Also, females can be sold into slavery for life by their father, which is also not human trafficking:

Exodus:21:7 If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do.

To recap... Allow me to run off a list in where things were likely absolutely no different between the slavery issued in 1) the Middle East 4.000 years ago, verses 2) the trans-Altlantic slave trade not too long ago:

-- Many slaves kept for life in both areas (check)
-- Many slaves bred and kept for life in both areas (check)
-- Whipping to the back side, at will, with complete impunity in both areas (check)
-- Slaves deemed as property in both areas (check)
-- Work long hours, 7 days a week, in both areas (check)

1) Aside from not being allowed to kill them right away, or to knock out their eye(s) and teeth, how was slavery really any different between 1) and 2)?
2) Why follow a book which does not match your own moral standards?